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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Reaching Out To The People

By Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh

This commentary was published in The Jordan Times on 28/01/2011

The Arab world is in shambles at this moment in time. The situation in some Arab countries, which either have a desperate popular uprising (as in the cases of Tunisia and Egypt) or witness acute political divisions that threaten national unity (as in the case of Sudan, Palestine and Lebanon), is indeed worrying. In these countries, we have clear examples of selfish or ill-advised governments that have failed to live up to the expectations of the people.

The answer to such an almost unprecedented challenge is not suppression of the people or intransigence on the part of the warring factions, but reaching out to the people and eliminating the rift that divides the various political factions within the ruling bodies.

We live in a world that is hit hard by an economic crisis that has spared no one, not even the most developed countries. The case in the underdeveloped or developing part of the world is, naturally, much worse. This is why conscious effort needs to be exerted to alleviate the hard conditions of the people and to build understanding and solidarity among the deadlocked political parties in charge.

In the absence of vibrant democracies that manage political differences and channel them in positive, constructive ways (look, for example, at how America deals with its internal political differences), the Arab world will be much harmed by popular uprisings and political divisions.

Because Arab countries are either underdeveloped or developing, what they need more than anything else at present is stability. Chaos and division, no matter under what shape or name they come, are in the interest of neither people nor governments.

One can understand why people go out into the streets of some Arab countries and demonstrate, peacefully or violently. There is a genuine feeling that they are let down, both economically and politically. But such uprisings can seriously harm the security and stability of these countries, making them prey to opportunists and troublemakers of all sorts (both from inside and from outside), who want nothing but the destruction of these countries and doom. The same goes for political division.

Is the division between south and north Sudan in the interest of the Sudanese people? Is the division between Fateh and Hamas in the interest of the Palestinian cause? Is the division in Lebanon in the interest of the Lebanese? Absolutely not.

The media and political “analysts” who we see daily on suspect satellite stations and ill-meaning talk shows screaming at the top of their lungs in favour of political shakeups, and who see in popular uprisings or political divisions the seeds of future bliss are direly mistaken.

Our countries - which need much time and all the unity they can muster to attain economic and political development - cannot afford popular rage or political gambling.

The Arab world needs to build democratic political institutions and viable, effective governments that serve - not manipulate or hijack - peoples’ interests, institutions and governments that work for the public good, and for political, economic, scientific and social development.

What is required now is not demonstrations or uprisings (no matter how appealing these are to some), nor petty competition over positions among politicians, but honest, genuine dialogue, and cool, rational thinking and planning.

Above all, in these dire times, governments need to reach out to the people, not oppress them.

About Me

I graduated from the French University in Beirut (St Joseph) specialising in Political and Economic Sciences. I started my working life in 1973 as a reporter and journalist for the pan-Arab magazine “Al-Hawadess” in Lebanon later becoming its Washington, D.C. correspondent. I subsequently moved to London in 1979 joining “Al-Majallah” magazine as its Deputy Managing Editor. In 1984 joined “Assayad” magazine in London initially as its Managing Editor and later as Editor-in-Chief. Following this, in 1990 I joined “Al-Wasat” magazine (part of the Dar-Al-Hayat Group) in London as a Managing Editor. In 2011 I became the Editor-In-Chief of Miraat el-Khaleej (Gulf Mirror). In July 2012 I became the Chairman of The Board of Asswak Al-Arab Publishing Ltd in UK and the Editor In Chief of its first Publication "Asswak Al-Arab" Magazine (Arab Markets Magazine) (www.asswak-alarab.com).

I have already authored five books. The first “The Tears of the Horizon” is a love story. The second “The Winter of Discontent in The Gulf” (1991) focuses on the first Gulf war sparked by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. His third book is entitled “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: From Balfour Promise to Bush Declaration: The Complications and the Road to a Lasting Peace” (March 2008). The fourth book is titled “How Iran Plans to Fight America and Dominate the Middle East” (October 2008) And the fifth and the most recent is titled "JIHAD'S NEW HEARTLANDS: Why The West Has Failed To Contain Islamic Fundamentalism" (May 2011).

Furthermore, I wrote the memoirs of national security advisor to US President Ronald Reagan, Mr Robert McFarlane, serializing them in “Al-Wasat” magazine over 14 episodes in 1992.

Over the years, I have interviewed and met several world leaders such as American President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Margaret Thacher, Late King Hassan II of Morocco, Late King Hussein of Jordan,Tunisian President Zein El-Abedine Bin Ali, Lybian Leader Moammar Al-Quadhafi,President Amine Gemayel of Lebanon,late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, Late Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, Haitian President Jean Claude Duvalier, Late United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,Algerian President Shazli Bin Jdid, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Siyagha and more...